


How Strange

by itsnotlove



Series: You're Stupid and I Hate You [2]
Category: Durarara!!
Genre: Flowers, How to Save Humanity, M/M, Raijin - Freeform, Science, Very scientific science, highschool, sequel to How Ridiculous
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-18
Updated: 2016-12-18
Packaged: 2018-09-09 12:41:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8891119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsnotlove/pseuds/itsnotlove
Summary: After what had happened on that field trip, Izaya is curious. Could it be that he's found a weakness of Shizuo's? There's no way to know unless he does some experimenting.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Pixietails](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pixietails/gifts).



For all the things Izaya might have woken up to, this was the least expected. Dozens of rough edges poked and scratched at his sides, and soft curves tickled his face and neck. A part of his brain began to panic, given that it wasn’t normal to feel such things when waking up in the morning, but the familiar hushed giggles that echoed throughout the room convinced that part of his brain to be quiet.

 

Slowly, his eyes cracked open enough to take in the blurred image of two children climbing on his bed. Two blinks was all it took to clear his vision, and he watched silently as Mairu and Kururi crawled around his bed, placing dozens of flowers all over him.

 

“It’s rude to wake someone up so early.” He creaked out with a slight frown, though he couldn’t say he was all that upset. His sisters might be weird, but they were still human (if only barely), and they could be interesting when they wanted to be.

 

“Iza-nii!”

 

“Alive.” (You’re alive)

 

“It’s a reverse miracle!”

 

The girls sat in mock shock as Izaya slowly pulled himself up into a seated position, feigning horror at their brother’s return from the dead.

 

“Why would I be dead?” Sleep still clouded his thoughts, but he instantly regretted asking when they giggled at him.

 

“Flowers.” (Funeral’s have flowers)

 

“Iza-nii has so many flowers! Iza-nii has no friends, s-”

 

“So you thought I was dead?” He scratched his the back of his head and ignored the glee on their faces. “That makes sense.”

 

“It does! Kuru-nee is smart!” Mairu exclaimed, almost bursting with pride for her sister.

 

“But not smart enough to check for a pulse?”

 

“You didn’t have one!”

 

“I didn’t?”

 

“Nil.” (No)

 

“Do I have one now?” The girls exchanged a nervous look, and Izaya laughed to himself. “Then I must be a zombie, back from the dead to eat what little brains you have.”

 

“Hey… Brain.” (We have brains!)

 

“Iza-nii is more fun dead!” The girls scuttled backward slightly on the bed, regarding Izaya with a great deal of caution.

 

It mightn’t have been the most mature thing to do, but as Izaya was still a teenage boy, and his sisters were still so young, he did the only logical thing. His face grew slack as his eyes narrowed, and he let a low, guttural sound echo through his throat. At half speed, he reached out toward his sisters, forcing Mairu to shove Kururi off the bed before trying (and failing) to kick out at him.

 

Squealing, the girls bolted from the room, threats of violence beyond their years ringing out throughout the nearly empty household. Izaya collapsed backward into his bed of flowers, and plucked the broken looking rose out from beside his face. It mocked him with how bright it was, the pink looking anything but girlish with how strong the colouring was. He slapped his face with it, subconsciously attempting to reenact the only time he’d ever been given flowers, and closed his eyes.

 

There wasn’t time to sit and think, not when his young sisters were probably plotting something. With some regret, he rolled out of his bed and onto his feet, and padded out into the rest of the house.

  
  
  


**

  
  
  


It hadn’t taken long to get Mairu and Kururi ready for the day, though they did appear skeptical of his cooking when it came to eat breakfast. They’d poked at their omurice several times before outright asking if there were any brains in it, and only ate it after Izaya confirmed that yes, there were brains in the food, because the pair of them needed all the help they could get.

 

After that, he’d rinsed their dishes and tied up their shoes, then hurried them all out the door. The last thing he wanted was for anyone to see him with his sisters, and the girls were always so loud that stealth was impossible during busier times.

 

Today, however, the walk to kindergarten seemed a lot quieter. Izaya was forced to peer back at them several times to make sure they were still walking hand in hand behind him, and each time, they peered back at him with innocent expressions. It was troubling, and he felt as though they were definitely plotting something.

 

It wasn’t until they reached the pedestrian crossing that curiosity got the better of him, and he turned to face them before leaning against the post and pressing the signal button. “You two are obnoxious.”

 

“No!” (No we aren’t!)

 

“You are! Iza-nii is ob… stupid!”

 

“Stupid!” (Stupid!)

 

“Dumb Iza-nii!”

 

“What are you hiding?” He cut them off with an even tone, not buying their outrage for one second. The girls scrunched up their faces, trying as hard as they could to keep their indignant expressions, but failed once the pedestrian light turned green. They giggled to themselves before skipping onto the road, a confused (and slightly annoyed) Izaya trailing along behind them.

 

The kindergarten was only half a block away from the crossing, and Izaya paused and watched as his sisters walked the rest of the distance themselves. Mairu turned in large circles, dragging Kururi by the hand as she did, and waved excitedly at Izaya as they walked away. There was no way to be sure, but he was certain she yelled something out about the flowers.

 

Well, it didn’t matter what a five year old did.

 

He waited until they were ushered into the building by a teacher before leaving himself, slowly walking through the tired streets as his earlier thoughts swam through his mind. It had been around four days since Shizuo had chance him into that field, and Izaya still couldn’t figure it out.

 

The idea that Shizuo’s anger could be curbed was ridiculous, but even more ridiculous was the idea that flowers could be the thing that did it. There was no other explanation for Shizuo’s erratic actions, or why he’d wanted to give Izaya a flower so desperately. The flowers had to be the key, and if sunflowers caused Shizuo to act like a lovestruck tsundere, then there was no telling what other flowers might do.

 

Which is why he’d been carefully constructing bouquets, sneaking out of his house once the twins were asleep, and breaking into Shizuo’s bedroom to leave him flowers. It was research. It was a way to discover Shizuo’s weaknesses, so that Izaya could save humanity!

 

There was absolutely no other reason.

 

The walk to Raijin was uneventful, though several passers-by did give him strange looks. He smiled at them, unperturbed by their expressions, though he couldn’t help but be curious as to why they were watching him. Humans were so interesting, and there were a thousand and one different reasons why he was fascinating to them in that moment.

 

Perhaps he reminded them of someone, or maybe he’d done something to one of their relatives. Whatever the reason, he smiled despite it, and practically skipped to his school.

 

“I-ZA-YA- _KUN!_ ”

 

Ah, had he forgotten something important? Well, he was in such a good mood that not even Shizuo could ruin his day. Once he reached the gate to his school, he spun around on one foot, a fake smile plastered against his lips like a macabre mask.

 

“Shizu-chan, it’s rude to yell so loudly!” He scolded, tilting his head slightly when Shizuo stopped his approach only a metre or so away from him. “Didn’t your parents teach you anything?”

 

Shizuo didn’t respond verbally, but a rush of heat brightened the tips of his ears.

 

“Don’t tell me you’re listening to my good advice!” What flowers had he left this time? The pink beach roses? “Are you finally succumbing to evolution?”

 

“You...” Shizuo started, eyes stuck on the corner of Izaya’s ear. “Brought them?”

 

“Hm? Brought what?” Feigning ignorance, Izaya held both hands out by his sides. “Why would anyone bring you anything?”

 

There was something strange about the way Shizuo was looking at him, and Izaya fought the urge to touch the place he was staring. On the off chance that the animal was attempting psychological warfare, he didn’t want to cave in and lose.

 

“You did.” Shizuo took a small step forward and lifted his finger to point. “You pervert! You brought me flowers!”

 

“Don’t be disgusting.”

 

“You did! I know it was you!” Shizuo’s hand moved into his pocket and rummaged around, then pulled out a crumpled pink flower. He shoved it toward Izaya’s face like some sort of proof, hand shaking as he took another step forward. “You broke into my house!”

 

“It’s hard to break into something that isn’t _locked,_ ” Izaya countered, his own face heating up. “Not that I’m admitting anything. And I certainly wouldn’t bring you flo-”

 

“You think I’m an idiot, huh?! You’re even wearing one!”

 

“Am not.”

 

“You are! Behind your ear!”

 

As much as Izaya wanted to believe Shizuo was lying, he couldn’t forget the giggling of his sisters, or the stares of passers-by. He hadn’t had enough time to get dressed properly, let alone shower, and even if he had, his sisters were capable of a great many things despite their young age. To think they might have snuck a flower behind his ear without his knowledge… It made him feel both pride and annoyance.

 

Finally, his reactions seemed to catch up with his brain and he snatched the flower out from behind his ear. It was the same as the one Shizuo held in his hand, and the same as the one he’d considered in bed earlier that morning. With no care at all, he shoved it into his pocket and spun himself back around, intent on storming off silently onto school grounds.

 

“Hey!” Shizuo’s hand grabbed his shoulder, and Izaya cursed under his breath. The beast hadn’t been a threat, and so he hadn’t treated him as one, and now he was paying the price.

 

“ _What._ ”

 

“You, uh...” Shizuo pulled him around roughly, his face somehow darker than Izaya’s. “It matches, y’know?”

 

“ _No_ , I _don’t know,_ Shizu-chan.”

 

“What? Yes you fuckin’ do!”

 

“No, I don’t, so let me g- What are you doing!?”

 

The flower in Shizuo’s hand was shoved roughly behind Izaya’s ear, then readjusted awkwardly. Once it was in place, Shizuo’s fingers rearranged the stray hairs falling around Izaya’s face as his teeth bit down on his bottom lip.

 

“Now you look a little less ugly.” Shizuo took a step backward and admired his work, then quickly covered his face with a hand. “Fuckin’ bastard shitty fuckin’ smell shit fuck.”

 

“Wha-”

 

“Who gives another man flowers, you piece of shit?!”

 

“You gave me flowers!”

 

“I gave you one! Not fuckin’ bunches!”

 

“Bouquets!”

 

“SO YOU ADMIT IT!” Shizuo’s hand dropped away from his face, and he looked almost like he might be sick. “You admit sneaking into my room and-!”

 

“It’s not _my_ fault you’re an idiot wh-”

 

“-you don’t even wake me up!”

 

“What?! Why w-”

 

“If you’re gonna give me flowers, then… You bastard, don’t underestimate me!” Shizuo took another step backward, a sea of conflicting emotions sweeping across his features. “Wake me up, you fuckin’ pervert!”

 

Izaya’s mouth opened, then closed, and he watched as Shizuo took off toward the school. This was the second time that one of their altercations had ended with Shizuo running away, and Izaya couldn’t help but feel… odd about it.

 

And the idea that the idiot was more upset about not being woken up? What was _that_ supposed to mean?!

 

Shifting on his feet, Izaya let his fingers touch the heavily bruised flower behind his ear for a moment before pulling it out gently. Rather than stuff it in the pocket with the other one, he reached into his back and pulled out his yearly diary, and slipped the flower between the pages.

 

Just so it could be studied later. There was no other reason to keep it, of course.

 

He rolled his shoulders several times, then wandered through the front gates of the school. What a strange reaction that was. Could it be replicated? How would different flowers effect Shizuo at different times of the day?

 

As his mind turned over with several new questions, something genuine pulled at his lips. If Shizuo wanted to be woken up, then Izaya would wake him using a variety of methods, and test his reactions to the flowers.

 

It was the least he could do to protect humanity, after all.

**Author's Note:**

> HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAY <3 8D


End file.
